her escape the next morning when Alex shut himself away
in the sitting room with the other Greek man whose name she didn’t know. She
walked back to her apartment—it didn’t take too long—dropped her bag off, and
then set off to the job centre. She wrote down several prospects, smiling when
she noticed the lack of stripper jobs, and made several calls. She also took
some time to go across to the hotel. Her manager was all sympathy and
forgiveness when Andy told her about the mugging. She also gave Andy the good
news of an extra fifteen hours a week in the hotel bar—starting immediately. It
wasn’t Finest Foods wages, but it was better than nothing.
Andy was feeling pretty pleased with herself when she changed
into her black trousers and T-shirt, the required uniform for serving drinks.
She was even feeling calmer about the whole Alex situation. She overreacted the
night before. She couldn’t expect Alex to simply fuck and shut up. He was a
man. A proud, arrogant kind of man—he’d want whatever details he could get
about her. She also suspected he hadn’t given up on the whole mistress thing.
Probably still expected to change her mind.
Shrugging, Andy picked up her bag and made her way to the bus
stop. The hour was still pretty early, mid-afternoon, so the usual scum were
lying low. Andy felt safe enough. Well, she did until a soft top Jeep pulled up
in front of her—Alex in the driving seat.
Fuuucccckkkkk.
“Get in this car immediately,” he growled.
Andy shivered. “You know I can’t.”
“I picked it up especially, Andy,” he said. “It’s a soft top, no
roof to hold you in. You’ll be perfectly fine.”
She paused, and he leaned across, yanking the door open. “Do not
try my patience any further, Andrea.”
To her surprise, Andy realized that the idea of getting in the Jeep
did not bring her out in a cold sweat. Like Alex said, it did not have a roof.
She could get out if worst came to worst. But then Alex looked very angry. Andy
wasn’t sure how wise it was to go with him right now….
“Get. In.”
Scowling Andy scrambled into the seat and waited for the familiar
burst of panic. She looked across at Alex and despite his frown she could see
the tenderness in his eyes. The deep chocolate of his eyes looked softer than
she’d ever seen before.
“Deep breath, Andy.”
The panic did not come. Andy felt fine, a little jittery but
nothing like she had in the past. It had to be due to the open roof, or maybe
even due to Alex. Damn him. “Let’s drive and see how it feels.”
They did, and after a few minutes, Andy felt her breathing even
out and she began to enjoy the wind in her hair. Clearly, she could drive in
the future. She just needed to make sure the car was roofless. She smiled and
took in her surroundings. “Where are going, Alex? You need to drop me off at
the Haversham, please.”
He laughed and pulled the Jeep into the road leading to his
hotel, not hers. “Not going to happen, kitten.”
Andy glared. “I have work. I can’t not go, Alex. This is a new
job, and I cannot afford to lose it.”
“I already said I would give you a job did I not?”
“I don’t need your charity,” Andy said. “But I do need to go to
work. I let Laura down tonight, and she’ll let me go completely. I’ll be
jobless. I can’t let that happen, Alex. I can’t!” Why couldn’t her understand
her perilous situation? Maybe because you haven’t told him….
Alex pulled the Jeep into the hotel car park and gestured her
out. “Upstairs now. The time to talk has long since come and gone, Andrea.”
“I have ten minutes, Alex. Ten God damn minutes and then I am going to work.”
They made their way upstairs. Alex so obviously brooding—the
tender look no more. And she silently seething—how dare he be so high-handed!
Once inside the hotel suite Alex turned and spoke. “Right, answer
me the question I asked of yesterday, Gatika .”
Andy glared. “It’s none of your business,
in the sitting room with the other Greek man whose name she didn’t know. She
walked back to her apartment—it didn’t take too long—dropped her bag off, and
then set off to the job centre. She wrote down several prospects, smiling when
she noticed the lack of stripper jobs, and made several calls. She also took
some time to go across to the hotel. Her manager was all sympathy and
forgiveness when Andy told her about the mugging. She also gave Andy the good
news of an extra fifteen hours a week in the hotel bar—starting immediately. It
wasn’t Finest Foods wages, but it was better than nothing.
Andy was feeling pretty pleased with herself when she changed
into her black trousers and T-shirt, the required uniform for serving drinks.
She was even feeling calmer about the whole Alex situation. She overreacted the
night before. She couldn’t expect Alex to simply fuck and shut up. He was a
man. A proud, arrogant kind of man—he’d want whatever details he could get
about her. She also suspected he hadn’t given up on the whole mistress thing.
Probably still expected to change her mind.
Shrugging, Andy picked up her bag and made her way to the bus
stop. The hour was still pretty early, mid-afternoon, so the usual scum were
lying low. Andy felt safe enough. Well, she did until a soft top Jeep pulled up
in front of her—Alex in the driving seat.
Fuuucccckkkkk.
“Get in this car immediately,” he growled.
Andy shivered. “You know I can’t.”
“I picked it up especially, Andy,” he said. “It’s a soft top, no
roof to hold you in. You’ll be perfectly fine.”
She paused, and he leaned across, yanking the door open. “Do not
try my patience any further, Andrea.”
To her surprise, Andy realized that the idea of getting in the Jeep
did not bring her out in a cold sweat. Like Alex said, it did not have a roof.
She could get out if worst came to worst. But then Alex looked very angry. Andy
wasn’t sure how wise it was to go with him right now….
“Get. In.”
Scowling Andy scrambled into the seat and waited for the familiar
burst of panic. She looked across at Alex and despite his frown she could see
the tenderness in his eyes. The deep chocolate of his eyes looked softer than
she’d ever seen before.
“Deep breath, Andy.”
The panic did not come. Andy felt fine, a little jittery but
nothing like she had in the past. It had to be due to the open roof, or maybe
even due to Alex. Damn him. “Let’s drive and see how it feels.”
They did, and after a few minutes, Andy felt her breathing even
out and she began to enjoy the wind in her hair. Clearly, she could drive in
the future. She just needed to make sure the car was roofless. She smiled and
took in her surroundings. “Where are going, Alex? You need to drop me off at
the Haversham, please.”
He laughed and pulled the Jeep into the road leading to his
hotel, not hers. “Not going to happen, kitten.”
Andy glared. “I have work. I can’t not go, Alex. This is a new
job, and I cannot afford to lose it.”
“I already said I would give you a job did I not?”
“I don’t need your charity,” Andy said. “But I do need to go to
work. I let Laura down tonight, and she’ll let me go completely. I’ll be
jobless. I can’t let that happen, Alex. I can’t!” Why couldn’t her understand
her perilous situation? Maybe because you haven’t told him….
Alex pulled the Jeep into the hotel car park and gestured her
out. “Upstairs now. The time to talk has long since come and gone, Andrea.”
“I have ten minutes, Alex. Ten God damn minutes and then I am going to work.”
They made their way upstairs. Alex so obviously brooding—the
tender look no more. And she silently seething—how dare he be so high-handed!
Once inside the hotel suite Alex turned and spoke. “Right, answer
me the question I asked of yesterday, Gatika .”
Andy glared. “It’s none of your business,
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